Brook



(No Model.)

G. H. 'BRABROOK.

FLAT METAL TABLEWARE.

No. 606,183. Patented June 28, *898.

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; In |||||||||l|lll- UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

GEORGE HALE BRABROOK, or TAUNTON, ssAcnusErTs,'AssIeNon TO THE'REED & BARTON CORPORATION, or SAME PLACE.

FLAT METAL TABLEWARE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 606,183, dated June 28, 1898.

Application filed September 20, I897. Serial No. 652,319- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE HALE BRA- BROOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Taunton, in the county of Bristol and Oomj wearing off of the film of silver-plating from those portions of such articles subject to the greatest wear. This I accomplish by taking the fork or other article, after it isstruck up and formed on a single die curved to produce a spoon in'its final or finished shape, and removing a portion of the base metal by grinding or filingand replacing the base metal thus removed by silver or other metal and then subjecting the article to the final striking.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of a blank, showing the first and second Operations performed on my improved article. Figs. 2 and 3 show sections on the lines 2 2 and 3 3, respectively, in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan of the blank after the third operation. Figs. 5 and 6 show sections on the lines 5 5 and 6 6, respectively. Fig. 7 shows in plan my completed article. In the drawings, A is the blank of a fork or similar article which has been marked out or half struck up, so that it has the same curvature that it will have when finished. By this means it is possible to determine the exact position of the exposed portions B and 0 when the fork is at rest. These exposed portions are then removed by grinding or other means, so that a plane surface is left, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Then, while the fork or similar article is red-hot, sufficient metal to replace the metal removed is melted upon the surfaces B and C, from which the exposed portions have been removed, so that there is a patch of this replaced metal which adheres to the blank at these points. The blank, with the replaced metal on the exposed points B and O, is then placed in the dies again and struck a finishing blow, which brings the replaced metal patch downto the original contour of the fork before the exposed surfaces were removed, as shown in Figs. 4:, 5, and 6. The entire article is finally plated with the replaced metal, as silver, so that the article has the appearance of being made of homogeneous material, and this effect will still continue even after the plating is entirely worn from the replaced metal parts by the abrasion'incidental to constant use.

It is well known that metal other than that of which the article is made has previously been applied to these wearing-surfaces of tableware by various means-for example, by dovetailing or riveting thereto such applied metal or by an additional electrodeposit on the exposed parts. Both of these methods destroy the original contour of the article,'in the firstinstance to a degree to be a positive blemish, and in the other a larger surface is covered than required, and in both instances the expense is considerable. Again, holes have been made in the fiat blanks and filled with the metal used for protecting the exposed points; but in this instance it is difficult to determine in the fiat blank the exact wearing-surface. Consequently more metal than is actually required is applied, especially in such articles as have concave backs, which require only the outside edges protected and, again, in the subsequent operation of handling the flat blanks the extraneous metal becomes incorporated in the scrap metal, which is an annoyance in remelting and working over such scrap. In fact all methods thus far employed have been in a great measure impracticable for one reason or another; but my method is simple and inexpensive inasmuch as, the article being half' struck up in a die so curved as to determine the finished curve of the article, the exact points subject to wear are exactly determined by rubbing the article upon a flat file or rifle, and the exact amount of extraneous metal is used and incorporated at just the point in the processes of manufacture to insure perfect protection in the finished article and after all processes have been performed which would cause any of the extraneous metal to get into the base v metal to be Worked over.

I claim- That improvement in the art of manufacturing flat metal tableware, which consists in first striking the article to its ultimate form, next removing the base metal from portions thereof exposed to Wear, then substituting 1o precious metal of a shape and size corresponding to the base metal removed, by welding and finally finishing and plating the article, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WM. B. H. DoWsE, GEO. A. I-IoLMEs. 

